InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Say Goodbye ❯ Chapter 8 Edge ( Chapter 8 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: blueangel326 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.28.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 347 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.28.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 347 | Status: Completed
8 Edge
You keep going on like this
Piling your lies
While you know you can never
Return to the road where you lost your path
What was the dream
That you drew and fell into
As you got lost on the other side
The visible tomorrow is never satisfactory
But maybe we’re only clinging to these things
We’re probably searching
Feeling for the same thing at different places
That’s all what we want, but we’re holding onto nothing
Pillaging dreams and reality, we’re just too close
We’ll continue to walk
Just to find again that twilight’s serenity
Is the darkest place
But also the birth of what the appearance of light
Decides to give
So with greater passion, we cross into
The insatiable tomorrow with the foolish beliefs
Walking, humming where we will go
And holding the nothingness tightly
As we fall off the edge
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“Priestess Kaede! Priestess Kaede! Youkai approach the village!”
“Youkai approach? Are ye sure, Misaki?”
“Yes, priestess Kaede. A hoard approaches us fast! I fear that they should destroy the crops and the homes along with them. We must do something!”
The old woman looked at the frantic young girl. “Calm ye self. Tell all the villagers to gather inside their homes. We must not let the youkai enter. I shall place a barrier around the village and pray that they shall not enter.”
“Yes, priestess Kaede.” The young girl rushed out of the priestess’s hut and began to call to the other villagers to warn them into their homes.
“Lady Kaede, what are we going to do if your barrier doesn’t work? Inuyasha and the others are not back yet and Kagome is too ill to fight. Even if she could, there would be too many for her to fight. Oh, where’s Inuyasha?!” Shippou said as he began pounding on his head.
“Calm down, Shippou. Have ye no faith in my powers?”
“No, I didn’t mean anything like that. But without Inuyasha, Miroku, or Sango, we won’t be able to defeat them.”
“Have faith, Shippou. Hopefully, I shall be able to hold them off until Inuyasha returns. The barrier should hold until we are able to come up with a plan. I must hurry. Shippou, ye stay here and watch over young Kagome.”
“Okay. Be careful, Lady Kaede.”
Kaede left the hut with her bow and arrows in hand as she headed for the outskirts of the village. When she neared the fields, she saw dozens of demons descending from the clouds. She set down the bow and arrows and brought out an ofuda. She began reciting a sacred chant as the talisman glowed in her hand. With the last word she threw the talisman in the air and it stuck to an invisible barrier. Even though sensing the barrier, the youkai continued their path to the village without faltering. They reached the barrier and were blown back by the countering effects of it. , they continued their assault on the cursed barricade. After a few moments, the shield waned as the youkai did not give up. The old priestess began whispering another enchantment to keep the barrier strong.
“Priestess Kaede! We’ve come to help you!”
Kaede paused in her chanting to look behind her. Many of the village men and farmers were lined up, wielding all the tools and weapons that they could find.
“Why are ye here? ‘Tis dangerous out here.”
“Priestess Kaede, we could not let the youkai attack our village without at least trying to fight. We cannot allow only you to protect us. We will help until Inuyasha comes back as much as we can,” spoke one of the village’s head farmers.
“But Tsuzumi, I cannot allow ye to sacrifice yourselves. The barrier shall be able to hold long enough. And then, I will hold them off. Did ye not forget? I too hold spiritual powers myself.”
“But Priestess Kaede, not even you can hold this many demons on your own. Without Inuyasha, the monk, or the demon exterminator, this many youkai is impossible to defeat. Even the miko Kagome cannot hold this many if she were well. Let us help you,” proclaimed Tsuzumi’s brother.
Kaede sighed. “Aye, ye may help, but if the youkai become unbearable, ye must take the villagers and flee.”
“Alright, now prepare ye selves, men! The demons advance us!”
Kaede resumed her chants as the barrier cracked slightly. The demons saw the cracks and devised a plan to attack this one major weak point. More determined, the youkai attacked the cracks in the barrier until finally that part of the shield gave way. Slowly, the youkai poured into the village through the opening.
“Ready, men? The youkai are coming! Ready your weapons!”
Kaede began the first of the elimination with a shot of her arrow. Since the opening wasn’t too big, only the lesser youkai were able to snake their way into the barrier. That and it made it easier to fight with the youkai coming in one at a time.
“Priestess Kaede! It seems that the youkai are dying down,” said a villager after two minutes of slaughtering the youkai.
“Do not be fooled, Sensui. This is only the smaller and weaker of the youkai. Ye have not seen the more powerful ones for they lie in wait outside the barrier.”
True enough, the biggest and most powerful had yet to surface inside the barrier, but they were trying as they slammed themselves against the edge of the opening, in hopes of making the barrier collapse.
“Lady Kaede, you mean, we stand no chance against the youkai if the barrier breaks?”
“Nay, we shall hope that we can, but the barrier is our only sure way against these demons. We must continue.”
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“Inuyash a!” yelled Sango as she ran to defend her comrade.
Kagura held the fan leveled to her lips as she let out an amused laugh. “Inuyasha, pathetic half-breed. You are so gullible; believing that you’re precious miko would actually be here. Why waste the time to bring her here when we could just demolish her village as you watch in horror.”
“What! You just left Kagome in a village unprotected?! How could you be so damn stupid, mutt-face!!”
“Sh-Shut it, Kouga. I already got enough problems,” Inuyasha said as he tried to help himself stand with Tetsusaiga. He held with his other hand his abdomen where the imposter Kagome had torn through. “And you, Kagura, what have you done with Kagome?”
“Rest assure, Inuyasha, your precious miko has not been harmed, though I cannot guarantee that for long.”
“What d-do you mean ‘for long’?” he growled as a pang hit him as he almost fell to the ground again. “Why do you have Kagome? And what did you do to her?”
Kagura laughed again. “Fool! You still think that this is Kagome?! It is nothing but a mere guise. Gaijin!”
The imposter had already returned to Kagura’s side. Everyone watched in confusion as the Kagome look-a-like morphed its form. The hair grew longer and almost blinding white. The eyes became a golden hue. The form grew a head taller as its clothes also changed. Kagome pink pleated skirt became a red hakama and her blouse turned to a fire rat haori and under kimono. After a few seconds, the form looked like an exact copy of the wounded hanyou, only it was in his half-demon form.
“What the hell? What are you?” Kouga asked.
“I see you are amused,” came out Inuyasha’s gruff voice. “I am nothing but merely what Master Naraku wishes for me to be. If he bids me to be you, I shall take your form, like now. If he wills me to be your miko, that I have no choice to be her. If you shall call me something, call me Gaijin.”
“Why don’t you get rid of that disguise and fight like a real man?! Being mutt-face is not something you want to do, trust me.”
“Shut up!”
“Houshi-sama, do you sense anything…peculiar from this Gaijin?”
“So you sensed it too. I sense no true aura from, only the one he…er…it produces when he takes that person’s form. He has no real life force, only a spirit that shifts its matter to an appearance that already exists.”
“So Gaijin only exists when he takes someone else’s form?”
“Not necessarily. I believe he manipulates himself till he reaches a stable position.”
Sango nodded, somewhat understanding. “Well, whatever he is, we’ve got to get rid of him or Inuyasha and Kagome could be in even more danger. Kirara!” she summoned the fire cat and ascended.
“You said that Kagome might not be safe anymore. What do you mean?” Inuyasha pressed after overhearing Miroku’s assessment.
“The miko’s village is under attack by Naraku’s demons as we speak. I doubt the villagers will last long under the attack. And with you here and Kagome there, weakened from the poison, she won’t be able to hold her own.”
“You lie! Why would Naraku go through the trouble of poisoning Kagome and then attack her with his pathetic demons? He doesn’t have the guts to go with it.”
“Oh, it was not all Naraku’s plan. I am the one that summoned the demons on that human village. With her there with no one to protect her, she shall fall long before you return with the medicine, though I truly doubt that you will get past me. If you truly do not believe me, then I shall show you. Kanna.”
Kanna stepped from a vortex behind Kagura, holding her mirror, showing the village and the partially pierced barrier. Demons entered it few at a time while the other attempted to break apart the annoyance. Everyone could see Lady Kaede and the villagers try to stave off the minor youkai as best as they could.”
“Kagome! Shippou! Guys, we’ve got to hurry or everyone will perish!”
“I suggest you worry about yourself, if you survive long enough to.”
“Now, to have a little fun. I’ll start with the scrawny, little wolf,” Gaijin said with Inuyasha’s sneer. He headed towards Kouga, claws extended as he readied to slash at him.
“If the real mutt-face can’t get rid of me, then what makes you think that you can take me on?!”
“Just watch and see. Sankon Tetsusou!” Gaijin bellowed as his claws alighted before making very slight contact with Kouga’s armor. Kouga managed to dodge the rest of the attack as part of his armor chipped away.
“Damn it! You can use his powers too? Well, that makes it all the more fun!” he smirked. “Hey, mutt! You better be watching so you can see how I’m gonna kick your ass!”
“Just stop playing and take of that damn fake so we can go!” Inuyasha hollered as Miroku helped him up.
“Hiraikotsu!” resounded Sango’s voice as she launched her bone boomerang at Kagura from the air.
Kagura saw this and opened her fan. “Foolish taijiya. Do you really think your weapon can touch me?!” she said as she blew a strong enough gust to blow the weapon away and throw Sango off Kirara. Sango was able to catch herself to land on her feet, and Kirara managed to stay in the air upright. “Dance of Blades!” she sang as she flicked her wrist and razor sharp blades blasted from the fan.
“Kirara!” Sango shouted and jumped in the air to avoid the attack and lift herself on the fire cat. “The Hiraikotsu, Kirara!” Kirara headed over to where the weapon had landed, and Sango extended her hand out to grab it. They ascended further in the sky until they were at least 500 meters above everybody. Suddenly, Kirara took a nosedive straight towards Kagura and Kanna, Sango readying the giant weapon. She released it once they were within range, the added momentum making it a deadly and destructive attack.
Kagura smiled deviously as Kanna’s mirror glowed right before impact. Dust picked up and the boomerang came flying back to her. Apparently, the two continued the dive and as the weapon came close, Kirara swerved to the left just enough to dodge it and for Sango to stop it with her chain. She jumped off and dropped the rest of the way down. She charged towards the Wind Sorceress, using the boomerang as a shield against her attack.
Kirara went to Miroku, seeing as he needed to help Sango but couldn’t leave Inuyasha. “Kirara, stay here with Inuyasha. It’s still a while till dawn, and he can’t use Tetsusaiga or heal quickly enough. Don’t leave his side. We still don’t know what else Kagura plans to do.”
The youkai nodded her head, acknowledging the houshi’s commands. He ran towards the taijiya and drew out the Ofudas from his robes.
“Damn it! I’m a sitting duck out here. I hope that scrawny wolf can live up to his words for once and get rid of that damn poser.” Then Inuyasha eyed Kanna’s mirror, barely making out the demons still pouring into the village. “Kagome…” The villagers and even Kaede were struggling to keep up with the increase in demons, but they were soon overpowered as they were backed up in the fields. Even a few of the huts near were destroyed. “Damn it. We need to get back or the others might not make it. Kagome…!”
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“Pr iestess Kaede! There’s too many! We cannot continue on or we may perish without warning off the women and children.”
“Keep steady a little longer, Tsuzumi. We cannot give up…”
“Old Lady Kaede, Kagome’s left the hut!” yelled Shippou as he ran down the main road from the village.
“What? Where has she gone to?”
“I don’t know. I went to go get some more water and she was gone by the time I got back. Her bow and arrows are gone too.”
“Priestess Kaede, watch out!” yelled Sato, a young farmer that had just recently become married.
A dragon and a tiger youkai were headed straight for the old priestess. Kaede was not able to ready an arrow in time and braced her frail body for the attack.
Unexpectedly, a bright light shot past her and scored both youkai before they bursted into a cloud of dust. The two looked back and saw that Kagome was standing near a hill coming from the direction of the forest.
“Kagome! What are ye doing out of bed?”
“I want to fight. I can’t let these demons come attack and destroy this village because of me. I wouldn’t with myself if such a thing were to happen.”
“But Kagome, you’re too ill to fight. You would make yourself worse if you stay out here.”
Kagome shook her head as she slowly made her way to the others. “No, I have to fight, or this village won’t make it. There’s a barrier around us. Would it be possible to instill it stronger so that the youkai won’t be able to break it?”
“Possibly, but it would require an immense amount of power. Until we can see where the opening is located, we shall not be able to reseal it.”
“So we have to destroy the demons that block the way? How do we reseal the barrier?”
“Kagome, what are you saying?! You can’t fight. Lady Kaede, reason with her. We know that she’s not strong enough to fight, let alone repair the barrier.”
“Nay, Shippou. Kagome may be able to do it, but we cannot continue to fight off this many youkai. Kagome, can ye sense where the gap is?”
Kagome gazed at the horde of youkai and lost her balance. Someone caught her by the shoulders. She looked back and saw Inuyasha.
“Come on, Kagome. I know you can do it. Don’t give up,” she heard him say.
Kagome nodded and gathered her strength. She found the vortex where the enchantment was weak, where the youkai converged as they entered.
“Yes, I can sense it. What do I have to do?”
Kaede took out a paper talisman. “Bind this to ye arrow of purification and shoot it towards where ye sensed the point of entrance. It shall destroy the remainder of the youkai and seal the barrier tightly. But be wary, for if ye mistakenly hit the walls, the barrier itself shall collapse.”
Kagome nodded once more, taking the talisman. She held the talisman and an arrow parallel to the other, concentrating on combining the two to make one object. The talisman fused into the arrow and she notched it. She planted her feet solidly into the ground, holding her balance. Her vision blurred a little as she tried to aim precisely where the vortex lay. She almost tipped over but held her ground as she felt the strength of another as she heard his words,
‘You can do it. I believe in you, Kagome. Don’t stop now; trust in yourself. We all do, and so do I.’
Steadying herself, she released the arrow and it shot through the youkai. A few seconds passed and the barrier faded slightly. New cracks began to form throughout as the ground itself began to rumble.
“Oh, no! I-I think it didn’t work. I m-missed.”
The ground gave a final roar and the barrier shattered into tiny particles that blew away. But the demons were stilled. Everyone looked around, and all the youkai had just froze, as if they had suddenly iced over, stilling every particle of the fiber in the beings. Slowly, though, the villagers saw the youkai begin to disintegrate from where the old barrier had lain. As the bursts of light shone, the fragments formed around an invisible wall and became nonexistent.
The villagers hollered in words of elation.
“Lady Kagome, you did it!” called Sensui.
Kagome smiled weakly. “Thanks, but…” She was cut off as she fell to her knees coughing. Small spots of blood splattered in the grass.
“Oh, no, Kagome! Are you okay?” Shippou said, patting Kagome’s back to help stop the coughing.
“Inu… Inuyasha…”
“What about him?”
Kagome wiped her mouth as she smeared her blood on the back of her hand. “I-I saw him. He came…to help me.”
“Oh, my. She has become delirious. And ye fever has risen. Sensui, please help us take her back to my home. She has become worse.”
“Yes, Priestess.” He picked up Kagome just as she lost consciousness. But before she passed out, she saw Inuyasha reach for her, smiling slightly, saying something that made her smile.
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“You did it. I knew you could.”
Inuyasha turned his gaze away from the mirror as he told himself that Kagome was safe for now. He looked over at Kagura and saw that she was fighting with Sango and Miroku. Kouga and his pack were trying to take care of the Inuyasha look-a-like. Inuyasha growled low as he saw the imposter do another imitation of his Sankon Tetsusou.
“Damn you Naraku. You kill Kikyou and you want to kill Kagome. You poison her and you threaten me. And now you come up with this scrawny thing that tries to use my powers. I’ll never forgive you. Never,” Inuyasha said as he tried to stand up again. “Kagura! You and Naraku shall pay for what you have done to me and my friends. And, Gaijin, I dare you to even try to be me. ‘Cause if you do, I’ll send you straight to hell personally.”
Gaijin turned around, looking at the human hanyou. “So you wish to die first? So be it. I would have preferred more of a challenge to see who’s the better you. Me or the real one? Oh, well, I’ll be right back with you, wimpy wolf. Prepare to die, Inuyasha!” Gaijin left Kouga standing where he was.
“Hey, where the hell are you going? What’re you trying to do, mutt-face? If you’re trying to kill yourself, then stop it because that’s my job!” Kouga ran after Gaijin and tried to stop him from going after Inuyasha. “Where do you think you’re going? We haven’t finished here!”
“Back off, scrawny ass! This is my fight so don’t interfere!” Inuyasha yelled.
“I don’t care what you say, mutt. You ain’t gonna die, not when Kagome believes you to come back and I ain’t had a chance to get pay back.”
Kouga tried to plant a punch in Gaijin’s chest, but the youkai dodged it. “I suggest you take his advice and stop. Your time will come soon enough, as soon as your friend dies.” Gaijin slashed at him, and Kouga had to jump back just to avoid the base of the attack. He tried to leap forward again but faltered as Gaijin sent another attack right after the first.
Kouga couldn’t recover and catch up in time as the youkai had already reached Inuyasha and had leapt up to attack. “Die, half-breed!” he yelled as he launched a punch at him.
Inuyasha pulled out Tetsusaiga’s sheath at the last minute and block Gaijin’s attack. “Not in your dreams, pal.” Tetsusaiga pulsed and pushed Gaijin back. He was sent backwards in the air but flipped himself before landing on his feet.
“I hope you don’t plan to put up a fight with that pathetic thing you call your sword. I already know that you can’t wield it in this form, so you might as well put that weak toy away.”
“Just watch. My sword’s scabbard is more than enough to defend against a lower youkai like you. Especially one that can’t half come up with his own attack.”
“You think so? Just you wait.” Gaijin took out a leaf and held it in the palm of his hand. Something in his left eye flickered and suddenly the leaf became a blaze in his hand. With a swift movement of his hands, a sword formed, white flames dancing off the blade. “Let’s see how much the doggie likes to play with fire. My sword, the Suishougin. You will no less be able to stand up to it with your defenseless sheath.”
“Inuyasha! Get out of here or you’ll die here!” Miroku called as he hurried to his friend. Kagura stopped him from going further with her wind sickles. Miroku used his Shakuju to block the attack as Sango launched Hiraikotsu at the wind user.
“Do not think that I will allow you to interfere with Gaijin and his duties. You will see Inuyasha perish in the same way that you will die.” Kagura flicked her wrist to summon another gust to throw the boomerang off course.
“What makes you think that I’ll die here against you two? I promised Kagome that I’d protect her, and I won’t let you stop me!”
“Die!” Gaijin yelled as he charged once more, swifter this time. Inuyasha’s human reflexes weren’t fast enough to see where the attack would come from. The sword struck him from behind instead of in front. He could see the blur of the flames bouncing off his side as he cried out in pain. His fire rat haori protected him from the flames but did nothing to quell the pain of the blade striking against his side and piercing his back as his blood burned in the flames, giving them a slight red hue.
“Inuyasha!” Sango yelled as she saw him hit the ground, blood seeping through to the ground.
“Such useless attempts. Your friend is dead. He cannot hear you, but you can see him in death,” Gaijin cackled as he flung the burning remains of his torn flesh off the sword.
Inuyasha’s eyes were faded vaguely. “Ka-Kagome, I’m s-sorry,” he mumbled as his vision became darker.
Gaijin glimpsed down at the hanyou questioningly. “Even in death you think of that girl. Let me end your pain so that you can wait for her in hell!” He raised his sword to strike the bleeding hanyou.
“I’m sorry, Kagome…”
‘So you’re just gonna give up?’
Suishougin: Silver Crystal (suishou-crystal, gin-silver)
Whoo! I love cliffies, especially when I write them. I love me-self, and you want to kill me, ne?
Sorry, everybody for the very, very long update. My uncle died in January so I had a lot of things on my hand. Also, I’ve been having a writer’s block for the longest. But, luckily, things’ll look up for me. And since my cousin has internet, then that means a little faster update.
In chapter 4 and this chapter, I couldn’t think up appropriate poems on my own, so I did derived poems of the translations of Dearest, the 3rd Inuyasha ending, and Edge, the 1st opening for .hack//LIMINALITY. Those 2 seemed appropriate so I just did that. Well I must go and wash dishes and type some more. Jaa!
Final Words
Kouga: Damn it, mutt! Don’t you even DARE die on me.
Miroku: This looks bad. That attack seemed to do some damage and Inuyasha may not survive long enough to transform and heal. We’ve got to do something.
Sango: You’re right, houshi-sama. We’ve got to… Hey, isn’t that Jaken?
Mir: What? Why, that is Jaken. If Jaken is here, then that means Sesshoumaru is also here. I don’t like this, not one bit. What would Sesshoumaru be doing here?
Jaken: What are you doing here? Leave this place before Sesshoumaru-sama arrives!
Gaijin: Who do you think you are, imp? No one tells me what to do except Master Naraku. Leave, or I shall decide to sharpen my blade upon your tiny body. Tell this Sesshoumaru of yours to fuck off.
Jak: What?! Let’s see how you answer to my Staff of Skulls!
Gai: (blocks fire with his own fire) Futile. You shall take your own advice. (sends fire back to him)
Jak: (Roastin’!) Aaaahhh!
Sesshoumaru: Jaken, what is going on here?
Crispy toad: M-Mi’ Lord, this petty youkai that imitates Inuyasha has defiled your name with his mouth.
Gai: You have a problem with that? Then let’s see you try and stop me.
Sess: (narrows gaze) You dare test This Sesshoumaru? You shall die.
Gai: I’d like to see you try.
Kagura: (thinking) Sesshoumaru is here? This is not good. But then, he may serve to help my purpose. Sesshoumaru, you are more than worth waiting for.
Inuyasha: Hey, am I dead or not! And who was that that called my damn name?! Is it…?
Gai: Die!
Sess: You will perish.Converting /tmp/phpflllBF to /dev/stdout
You keep going on like this
Piling your lies
While you know you can never
Return to the road where you lost your path
What was the dream
That you drew and fell into
As you got lost on the other side
The visible tomorrow is never satisfactory
But maybe we’re only clinging to these things
We’re probably searching
Feeling for the same thing at different places
That’s all what we want, but we’re holding onto nothing
Pillaging dreams and reality, we’re just too close
We’ll continue to walk
Just to find again that twilight’s serenity
Is the darkest place
But also the birth of what the appearance of light
Decides to give
So with greater passion, we cross into
The insatiable tomorrow with the foolish beliefs
Walking, humming where we will go
And holding the nothingness tightly
As we fall off the edge
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“Priestess Kaede! Priestess Kaede! Youkai approach the village!”
“Youkai approach? Are ye sure, Misaki?”
“Yes, priestess Kaede. A hoard approaches us fast! I fear that they should destroy the crops and the homes along with them. We must do something!”
The old woman looked at the frantic young girl. “Calm ye self. Tell all the villagers to gather inside their homes. We must not let the youkai enter. I shall place a barrier around the village and pray that they shall not enter.”
“Yes, priestess Kaede.” The young girl rushed out of the priestess’s hut and began to call to the other villagers to warn them into their homes.
“Lady Kaede, what are we going to do if your barrier doesn’t work? Inuyasha and the others are not back yet and Kagome is too ill to fight. Even if she could, there would be too many for her to fight. Oh, where’s Inuyasha?!” Shippou said as he began pounding on his head.
“Calm down, Shippou. Have ye no faith in my powers?”
“No, I didn’t mean anything like that. But without Inuyasha, Miroku, or Sango, we won’t be able to defeat them.”
“Have faith, Shippou. Hopefully, I shall be able to hold them off until Inuyasha returns. The barrier should hold until we are able to come up with a plan. I must hurry. Shippou, ye stay here and watch over young Kagome.”
“Okay. Be careful, Lady Kaede.”
Kaede left the hut with her bow and arrows in hand as she headed for the outskirts of the village. When she neared the fields, she saw dozens of demons descending from the clouds. She set down the bow and arrows and brought out an ofuda. She began reciting a sacred chant as the talisman glowed in her hand. With the last word she threw the talisman in the air and it stuck to an invisible barrier. Even though sensing the barrier, the youkai continued their path to the village without faltering. They reached the barrier and were blown back by the countering effects of it. , they continued their assault on the cursed barricade. After a few moments, the shield waned as the youkai did not give up. The old priestess began whispering another enchantment to keep the barrier strong.
“Priestess Kaede! We’ve come to help you!”
Kaede paused in her chanting to look behind her. Many of the village men and farmers were lined up, wielding all the tools and weapons that they could find.
“Why are ye here? ‘Tis dangerous out here.”
“Priestess Kaede, we could not let the youkai attack our village without at least trying to fight. We cannot allow only you to protect us. We will help until Inuyasha comes back as much as we can,” spoke one of the village’s head farmers.
“But Tsuzumi, I cannot allow ye to sacrifice yourselves. The barrier shall be able to hold long enough. And then, I will hold them off. Did ye not forget? I too hold spiritual powers myself.”
“But Priestess Kaede, not even you can hold this many demons on your own. Without Inuyasha, the monk, or the demon exterminator, this many youkai is impossible to defeat. Even the miko Kagome cannot hold this many if she were well. Let us help you,” proclaimed Tsuzumi’s brother.
Kaede sighed. “Aye, ye may help, but if the youkai become unbearable, ye must take the villagers and flee.”
“Alright, now prepare ye selves, men! The demons advance us!”
Kaede resumed her chants as the barrier cracked slightly. The demons saw the cracks and devised a plan to attack this one major weak point. More determined, the youkai attacked the cracks in the barrier until finally that part of the shield gave way. Slowly, the youkai poured into the village through the opening.
“Ready, men? The youkai are coming! Ready your weapons!”
Kaede began the first of the elimination with a shot of her arrow. Since the opening wasn’t too big, only the lesser youkai were able to snake their way into the barrier. That and it made it easier to fight with the youkai coming in one at a time.
“Priestess Kaede! It seems that the youkai are dying down,” said a villager after two minutes of slaughtering the youkai.
“Do not be fooled, Sensui. This is only the smaller and weaker of the youkai. Ye have not seen the more powerful ones for they lie in wait outside the barrier.”
True enough, the biggest and most powerful had yet to surface inside the barrier, but they were trying as they slammed themselves against the edge of the opening, in hopes of making the barrier collapse.
“Lady Kaede, you mean, we stand no chance against the youkai if the barrier breaks?”
“Nay, we shall hope that we can, but the barrier is our only sure way against these demons. We must continue.”
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“Inuyash a!” yelled Sango as she ran to defend her comrade.
Kagura held the fan leveled to her lips as she let out an amused laugh. “Inuyasha, pathetic half-breed. You are so gullible; believing that you’re precious miko would actually be here. Why waste the time to bring her here when we could just demolish her village as you watch in horror.”
“What! You just left Kagome in a village unprotected?! How could you be so damn stupid, mutt-face!!”
“Sh-Shut it, Kouga. I already got enough problems,” Inuyasha said as he tried to help himself stand with Tetsusaiga. He held with his other hand his abdomen where the imposter Kagome had torn through. “And you, Kagura, what have you done with Kagome?”
“Rest assure, Inuyasha, your precious miko has not been harmed, though I cannot guarantee that for long.”
“What d-do you mean ‘for long’?” he growled as a pang hit him as he almost fell to the ground again. “Why do you have Kagome? And what did you do to her?”
Kagura laughed again. “Fool! You still think that this is Kagome?! It is nothing but a mere guise. Gaijin!”
The imposter had already returned to Kagura’s side. Everyone watched in confusion as the Kagome look-a-like morphed its form. The hair grew longer and almost blinding white. The eyes became a golden hue. The form grew a head taller as its clothes also changed. Kagome pink pleated skirt became a red hakama and her blouse turned to a fire rat haori and under kimono. After a few seconds, the form looked like an exact copy of the wounded hanyou, only it was in his half-demon form.
“What the hell? What are you?” Kouga asked.
“I see you are amused,” came out Inuyasha’s gruff voice. “I am nothing but merely what Master Naraku wishes for me to be. If he bids me to be you, I shall take your form, like now. If he wills me to be your miko, that I have no choice to be her. If you shall call me something, call me Gaijin.”
“Why don’t you get rid of that disguise and fight like a real man?! Being mutt-face is not something you want to do, trust me.”
“Shut up!”
“Houshi-sama, do you sense anything…peculiar from this Gaijin?”
“So you sensed it too. I sense no true aura from, only the one he…er…it produces when he takes that person’s form. He has no real life force, only a spirit that shifts its matter to an appearance that already exists.”
“So Gaijin only exists when he takes someone else’s form?”
“Not necessarily. I believe he manipulates himself till he reaches a stable position.”
Sango nodded, somewhat understanding. “Well, whatever he is, we’ve got to get rid of him or Inuyasha and Kagome could be in even more danger. Kirara!” she summoned the fire cat and ascended.
“You said that Kagome might not be safe anymore. What do you mean?” Inuyasha pressed after overhearing Miroku’s assessment.
“The miko’s village is under attack by Naraku’s demons as we speak. I doubt the villagers will last long under the attack. And with you here and Kagome there, weakened from the poison, she won’t be able to hold her own.”
“You lie! Why would Naraku go through the trouble of poisoning Kagome and then attack her with his pathetic demons? He doesn’t have the guts to go with it.”
“Oh, it was not all Naraku’s plan. I am the one that summoned the demons on that human village. With her there with no one to protect her, she shall fall long before you return with the medicine, though I truly doubt that you will get past me. If you truly do not believe me, then I shall show you. Kanna.”
Kanna stepped from a vortex behind Kagura, holding her mirror, showing the village and the partially pierced barrier. Demons entered it few at a time while the other attempted to break apart the annoyance. Everyone could see Lady Kaede and the villagers try to stave off the minor youkai as best as they could.”
“Kagome! Shippou! Guys, we’ve got to hurry or everyone will perish!”
“I suggest you worry about yourself, if you survive long enough to.”
“Now, to have a little fun. I’ll start with the scrawny, little wolf,” Gaijin said with Inuyasha’s sneer. He headed towards Kouga, claws extended as he readied to slash at him.
“If the real mutt-face can’t get rid of me, then what makes you think that you can take me on?!”
“Just watch and see. Sankon Tetsusou!” Gaijin bellowed as his claws alighted before making very slight contact with Kouga’s armor. Kouga managed to dodge the rest of the attack as part of his armor chipped away.
“Damn it! You can use his powers too? Well, that makes it all the more fun!” he smirked. “Hey, mutt! You better be watching so you can see how I’m gonna kick your ass!”
“Just stop playing and take of that damn fake so we can go!” Inuyasha hollered as Miroku helped him up.
“Hiraikotsu!” resounded Sango’s voice as she launched her bone boomerang at Kagura from the air.
Kagura saw this and opened her fan. “Foolish taijiya. Do you really think your weapon can touch me?!” she said as she blew a strong enough gust to blow the weapon away and throw Sango off Kirara. Sango was able to catch herself to land on her feet, and Kirara managed to stay in the air upright. “Dance of Blades!” she sang as she flicked her wrist and razor sharp blades blasted from the fan.
“Kirara!” Sango shouted and jumped in the air to avoid the attack and lift herself on the fire cat. “The Hiraikotsu, Kirara!” Kirara headed over to where the weapon had landed, and Sango extended her hand out to grab it. They ascended further in the sky until they were at least 500 meters above everybody. Suddenly, Kirara took a nosedive straight towards Kagura and Kanna, Sango readying the giant weapon. She released it once they were within range, the added momentum making it a deadly and destructive attack.
Kagura smiled deviously as Kanna’s mirror glowed right before impact. Dust picked up and the boomerang came flying back to her. Apparently, the two continued the dive and as the weapon came close, Kirara swerved to the left just enough to dodge it and for Sango to stop it with her chain. She jumped off and dropped the rest of the way down. She charged towards the Wind Sorceress, using the boomerang as a shield against her attack.
Kirara went to Miroku, seeing as he needed to help Sango but couldn’t leave Inuyasha. “Kirara, stay here with Inuyasha. It’s still a while till dawn, and he can’t use Tetsusaiga or heal quickly enough. Don’t leave his side. We still don’t know what else Kagura plans to do.”
The youkai nodded her head, acknowledging the houshi’s commands. He ran towards the taijiya and drew out the Ofudas from his robes.
“Damn it! I’m a sitting duck out here. I hope that scrawny wolf can live up to his words for once and get rid of that damn poser.” Then Inuyasha eyed Kanna’s mirror, barely making out the demons still pouring into the village. “Kagome…” The villagers and even Kaede were struggling to keep up with the increase in demons, but they were soon overpowered as they were backed up in the fields. Even a few of the huts near were destroyed. “Damn it. We need to get back or the others might not make it. Kagome…!”
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“Pr iestess Kaede! There’s too many! We cannot continue on or we may perish without warning off the women and children.”
“Keep steady a little longer, Tsuzumi. We cannot give up…”
“Old Lady Kaede, Kagome’s left the hut!” yelled Shippou as he ran down the main road from the village.
“What? Where has she gone to?”
“I don’t know. I went to go get some more water and she was gone by the time I got back. Her bow and arrows are gone too.”
“Priestess Kaede, watch out!” yelled Sato, a young farmer that had just recently become married.
A dragon and a tiger youkai were headed straight for the old priestess. Kaede was not able to ready an arrow in time and braced her frail body for the attack.
Unexpectedly, a bright light shot past her and scored both youkai before they bursted into a cloud of dust. The two looked back and saw that Kagome was standing near a hill coming from the direction of the forest.
“Kagome! What are ye doing out of bed?”
“I want to fight. I can’t let these demons come attack and destroy this village because of me. I wouldn’t with myself if such a thing were to happen.”
“But Kagome, you’re too ill to fight. You would make yourself worse if you stay out here.”
Kagome shook her head as she slowly made her way to the others. “No, I have to fight, or this village won’t make it. There’s a barrier around us. Would it be possible to instill it stronger so that the youkai won’t be able to break it?”
“Possibly, but it would require an immense amount of power. Until we can see where the opening is located, we shall not be able to reseal it.”
“So we have to destroy the demons that block the way? How do we reseal the barrier?”
“Kagome, what are you saying?! You can’t fight. Lady Kaede, reason with her. We know that she’s not strong enough to fight, let alone repair the barrier.”
“Nay, Shippou. Kagome may be able to do it, but we cannot continue to fight off this many youkai. Kagome, can ye sense where the gap is?”
Kagome gazed at the horde of youkai and lost her balance. Someone caught her by the shoulders. She looked back and saw Inuyasha.
“Come on, Kagome. I know you can do it. Don’t give up,” she heard him say.
Kagome nodded and gathered her strength. She found the vortex where the enchantment was weak, where the youkai converged as they entered.
“Yes, I can sense it. What do I have to do?”
Kaede took out a paper talisman. “Bind this to ye arrow of purification and shoot it towards where ye sensed the point of entrance. It shall destroy the remainder of the youkai and seal the barrier tightly. But be wary, for if ye mistakenly hit the walls, the barrier itself shall collapse.”
Kagome nodded once more, taking the talisman. She held the talisman and an arrow parallel to the other, concentrating on combining the two to make one object. The talisman fused into the arrow and she notched it. She planted her feet solidly into the ground, holding her balance. Her vision blurred a little as she tried to aim precisely where the vortex lay. She almost tipped over but held her ground as she felt the strength of another as she heard his words,
‘You can do it. I believe in you, Kagome. Don’t stop now; trust in yourself. We all do, and so do I.’
Steadying herself, she released the arrow and it shot through the youkai. A few seconds passed and the barrier faded slightly. New cracks began to form throughout as the ground itself began to rumble.
“Oh, no! I-I think it didn’t work. I m-missed.”
The ground gave a final roar and the barrier shattered into tiny particles that blew away. But the demons were stilled. Everyone looked around, and all the youkai had just froze, as if they had suddenly iced over, stilling every particle of the fiber in the beings. Slowly, though, the villagers saw the youkai begin to disintegrate from where the old barrier had lain. As the bursts of light shone, the fragments formed around an invisible wall and became nonexistent.
The villagers hollered in words of elation.
“Lady Kagome, you did it!” called Sensui.
Kagome smiled weakly. “Thanks, but…” She was cut off as she fell to her knees coughing. Small spots of blood splattered in the grass.
“Oh, no, Kagome! Are you okay?” Shippou said, patting Kagome’s back to help stop the coughing.
“Inu… Inuyasha…”
“What about him?”
Kagome wiped her mouth as she smeared her blood on the back of her hand. “I-I saw him. He came…to help me.”
“Oh, my. She has become delirious. And ye fever has risen. Sensui, please help us take her back to my home. She has become worse.”
“Yes, Priestess.” He picked up Kagome just as she lost consciousness. But before she passed out, she saw Inuyasha reach for her, smiling slightly, saying something that made her smile.
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“You did it. I knew you could.”
Inuyasha turned his gaze away from the mirror as he told himself that Kagome was safe for now. He looked over at Kagura and saw that she was fighting with Sango and Miroku. Kouga and his pack were trying to take care of the Inuyasha look-a-like. Inuyasha growled low as he saw the imposter do another imitation of his Sankon Tetsusou.
“Damn you Naraku. You kill Kikyou and you want to kill Kagome. You poison her and you threaten me. And now you come up with this scrawny thing that tries to use my powers. I’ll never forgive you. Never,” Inuyasha said as he tried to stand up again. “Kagura! You and Naraku shall pay for what you have done to me and my friends. And, Gaijin, I dare you to even try to be me. ‘Cause if you do, I’ll send you straight to hell personally.”
Gaijin turned around, looking at the human hanyou. “So you wish to die first? So be it. I would have preferred more of a challenge to see who’s the better you. Me or the real one? Oh, well, I’ll be right back with you, wimpy wolf. Prepare to die, Inuyasha!” Gaijin left Kouga standing where he was.
“Hey, where the hell are you going? What’re you trying to do, mutt-face? If you’re trying to kill yourself, then stop it because that’s my job!” Kouga ran after Gaijin and tried to stop him from going after Inuyasha. “Where do you think you’re going? We haven’t finished here!”
“Back off, scrawny ass! This is my fight so don’t interfere!” Inuyasha yelled.
“I don’t care what you say, mutt. You ain’t gonna die, not when Kagome believes you to come back and I ain’t had a chance to get pay back.”
Kouga tried to plant a punch in Gaijin’s chest, but the youkai dodged it. “I suggest you take his advice and stop. Your time will come soon enough, as soon as your friend dies.” Gaijin slashed at him, and Kouga had to jump back just to avoid the base of the attack. He tried to leap forward again but faltered as Gaijin sent another attack right after the first.
Kouga couldn’t recover and catch up in time as the youkai had already reached Inuyasha and had leapt up to attack. “Die, half-breed!” he yelled as he launched a punch at him.
Inuyasha pulled out Tetsusaiga’s sheath at the last minute and block Gaijin’s attack. “Not in your dreams, pal.” Tetsusaiga pulsed and pushed Gaijin back. He was sent backwards in the air but flipped himself before landing on his feet.
“I hope you don’t plan to put up a fight with that pathetic thing you call your sword. I already know that you can’t wield it in this form, so you might as well put that weak toy away.”
“Just watch. My sword’s scabbard is more than enough to defend against a lower youkai like you. Especially one that can’t half come up with his own attack.”
“You think so? Just you wait.” Gaijin took out a leaf and held it in the palm of his hand. Something in his left eye flickered and suddenly the leaf became a blaze in his hand. With a swift movement of his hands, a sword formed, white flames dancing off the blade. “Let’s see how much the doggie likes to play with fire. My sword, the Suishougin. You will no less be able to stand up to it with your defenseless sheath.”
“Inuyasha! Get out of here or you’ll die here!” Miroku called as he hurried to his friend. Kagura stopped him from going further with her wind sickles. Miroku used his Shakuju to block the attack as Sango launched Hiraikotsu at the wind user.
“Do not think that I will allow you to interfere with Gaijin and his duties. You will see Inuyasha perish in the same way that you will die.” Kagura flicked her wrist to summon another gust to throw the boomerang off course.
“What makes you think that I’ll die here against you two? I promised Kagome that I’d protect her, and I won’t let you stop me!”
“Die!” Gaijin yelled as he charged once more, swifter this time. Inuyasha’s human reflexes weren’t fast enough to see where the attack would come from. The sword struck him from behind instead of in front. He could see the blur of the flames bouncing off his side as he cried out in pain. His fire rat haori protected him from the flames but did nothing to quell the pain of the blade striking against his side and piercing his back as his blood burned in the flames, giving them a slight red hue.
“Inuyasha!” Sango yelled as she saw him hit the ground, blood seeping through to the ground.
“Such useless attempts. Your friend is dead. He cannot hear you, but you can see him in death,” Gaijin cackled as he flung the burning remains of his torn flesh off the sword.
Inuyasha’s eyes were faded vaguely. “Ka-Kagome, I’m s-sorry,” he mumbled as his vision became darker.
Gaijin glimpsed down at the hanyou questioningly. “Even in death you think of that girl. Let me end your pain so that you can wait for her in hell!” He raised his sword to strike the bleeding hanyou.
“I’m sorry, Kagome…”
‘So you’re just gonna give up?’
Suishougin: Silver Crystal (suishou-crystal, gin-silver)
Whoo! I love cliffies, especially when I write them. I love me-self, and you want to kill me, ne?
Sorry, everybody for the very, very long update. My uncle died in January so I had a lot of things on my hand. Also, I’ve been having a writer’s block for the longest. But, luckily, things’ll look up for me. And since my cousin has internet, then that means a little faster update.
In chapter 4 and this chapter, I couldn’t think up appropriate poems on my own, so I did derived poems of the translations of Dearest, the 3rd Inuyasha ending, and Edge, the 1st opening for .hack//LIMINALITY. Those 2 seemed appropriate so I just did that. Well I must go and wash dishes and type some more. Jaa!
Final Words
Kouga: Damn it, mutt! Don’t you even DARE die on me.
Miroku: This looks bad. That attack seemed to do some damage and Inuyasha may not survive long enough to transform and heal. We’ve got to do something.
Sango: You’re right, houshi-sama. We’ve got to… Hey, isn’t that Jaken?
Mir: What? Why, that is Jaken. If Jaken is here, then that means Sesshoumaru is also here. I don’t like this, not one bit. What would Sesshoumaru be doing here?
Jaken: What are you doing here? Leave this place before Sesshoumaru-sama arrives!
Gaijin: Who do you think you are, imp? No one tells me what to do except Master Naraku. Leave, or I shall decide to sharpen my blade upon your tiny body. Tell this Sesshoumaru of yours to fuck off.
Jak: What?! Let’s see how you answer to my Staff of Skulls!
Gai: (blocks fire with his own fire) Futile. You shall take your own advice. (sends fire back to him)
Jak: (Roastin’!) Aaaahhh!
Sesshoumaru: Jaken, what is going on here?
Crispy toad: M-Mi’ Lord, this petty youkai that imitates Inuyasha has defiled your name with his mouth.
Gai: You have a problem with that? Then let’s see you try and stop me.
Sess: (narrows gaze) You dare test This Sesshoumaru? You shall die.
Gai: I’d like to see you try.
Kagura: (thinking) Sesshoumaru is here? This is not good. But then, he may serve to help my purpose. Sesshoumaru, you are more than worth waiting for.
Inuyasha: Hey, am I dead or not! And who was that that called my damn name?! Is it…?
Gai: Die!
Sess: You will perish.Converting /tmp/phpflllBF to /dev/stdout